Surprisingly Well
by brooke-ella1990
Summary: An expansion of Bay's thoughts after a certain event in season 2, episode 7. Mainly, Emmett's cheeky kiss. T for a few expletives.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Switched at Birth, or any of its characters or plotlines! I, however, wanted to expand on (what could possibly been) her train of thought after Emmett kissed her. (which as an enthusiastic Emmett/Bay shipper, I enjoyed.) **

**I think the whole scene shows that neither is really ready to move on, but Bay desperately wants to. Although, it also seems like she's not ready to put the whole thing behind her. I'm looking forward to seeing how the relationships progress over the season. **

**sorry for the ramble, Enjoy!**

* * *

Ever since her conversation with Toby on the way to school this morning, she's been dreading this moment. Telling Emmett about her and Noah. She can't really tell herself why.

But nonetheless she asks him to meet her after school; she'll be in the yard. She's almost hoping that Emmett will find out, and that she won't have to tell him. But right wills out as she sits in the school yard her drawing paper and pencils spread out in front of her. She looks up as he approaches, and her nerves ratchet up a little higher. He asks about the art she's working on, the commission of it. He misses her street art, she misses it too, but she doesn't say so. She can't hold it in any longer, she starts "There's something I need to tell you. I know I said that I wasn't ready to start seeing anybody right now, and I meant it. I really did" She pauses in her speech, and Emmett jumps in

"You're going out with somebody?" He looks remarkably calm. Bay wasn't sure what she had been expecting from him, but she feels like this is way too casual for somebody who said that they couldn't be friends if they weren't together.

"Yeah." She says, quietly. Almost not at all.

"Noah?" Emmett signs. Of course he would try to make this easier for her. He always did that sort of thing. Even if it was just listening to her ramble. A thought occurs to her, did he already know? And wait for her to confess in person? What would that mean for her feelings in relations to his?

She realizes she's been quiet and she says -"I'm sorry I didn't plan on this, it just kind of happened, and if you want to yell at me, go right ahead. I just think that you and I should try to move on." Alright, she's said it. It's out there. When he takes her face in his hands and kisses her right on the lips.

"What was that?" Bay can't find it in herself to yell, or make a scene about it. She's astounded, and she's even more astounded at what he says "Are you sure you're ready to move on?" He gives her a meaningful look before he turns around and walks away.

She sits in stunned silence. He would upend her life, and getting the last word. He was good at that too.

He kissed her!? The nerve of him! What the hell? What kind of person kisses a person after they confess to seeing another person? Emmett would, another part of her brain says, rather obnoxiously. Emmett did. And she's not sure she minded either. That's the disturbing part.

Bay could rationalize a lot of things, but the way she felt once Emmett kissed her. There was something up. She may have been attracted to Noah, and the ease of seeing somebody who heard and spoke out-loud with a voice certainly didn't hurt. But Noah's kisses didn't make the world stop spinning. Or make her feel like everything was alright with the world. What the fuck. But Bay's problem was that even though Emmett made the world stop or start with his kisses (depending on the emotion at the time)- she was still wildly attracted to Noah, and wanted to pursue that avenue for a while. Did that make her seem like a terrible person? Probably… She would have discussed it with Emmett, if the circumstances didn't directly involve him, and he was hardly an unbiased third party. Absently, she touches her lips. Fuck. This may have caused more problems.

She is waiting for Noah to get out of play rehearsals, or auditions. Bay spends some more time thinking about everything, mainly how lonely her time at Carlton has been since Emmett dropped the bombshell on her after the retreat. Sure, she's got Noah now, and Natalie's been considerably less mean since they decided on a truce. But they only hang out every once and a while Yeah, they are friends, but Bay thinks that once they leave Carlton, they probably won't have any more to do with each other. She'd felt lonely at Buckner too, but never quite like this. She was almost on a whole other planet here. The quiet all the time was odd, Buckner always had some low humming of kids talking, while here the people are quiet and the only noises are objects – doors, lockers slamming, shoes that scuff and squeak on the floors. And as much as she doesn't like to admit it, she's dreadfully lost in her classes.

The sad part is, she used to think she was pretty good at signing. Considering she'd never needed it, up until a year ago. Or even later, once she'd started seeing Emmett, the boy who didn't speak. But he had officially stolen her heart when he looked her in the eyes and told her "I. Just. Want. You" The way her heart soared at his words, his rusty and unused voice. The words, his voice, belong to her. He'd also shattered her. She hadn't been sure if she could break further. But when he confessed about sleeping with Simone! That was probably the worst night. She'd been equal parts furious, heartbroken and relieved that she hadn't slept with him before he'd told her. That would have been absolutely unforgivable. And since they'd broken up, her family life hadn't gotten any simpler. It had, in fact, gotten much more complicated. Of course, Angelo was the cause for all the complications. She's mulling over all these things when she stops to think about the drawing she's doing for her dad's campaign. It has to be perfect. The current draft is not perfect, but she can't concentrate on this anymore. Packing up her things, she decides to drop in at the drama room and see if they need anything painted. She's started painting part of the scenery, browns and grays are the dominant colors of the set.

She stops to listen to her mother as she comes through pushing a rack of costumes. The costume theme is a mixed Elizabethan/modern. Personally, Bay doesn't love the idea, but she's only painting sets. She has to go over and comment on the Nurse's headdress on Daphne. It just looks hilarious, and Daphne looks miserable in it.

Daphne asks about Noah, and Bay feels like she has to reply with wit, Daphne's not always incredibly perceptive – but sometimes she can be."Kissing has occurred and plans have for future kissing have been made, so yes, I guess we are going out" she emphasizes the thumb movement on 'going out.'

"Does Emmett know?" Of course, Daphne would bring up Emmett, them being best friends and all.

"Yeah. He seems to be handling it surprisingly well." Bay says, her voice goes higher, and she walks away from Daphne. She goes to look for Noah, he's coming over to hang out. Their predetermined plans from yesterday, but now she's determined to get this campaign poster right. It needs to be perfect – for her dad. So, they are hanging out in Bay's garage studio.

They are sitting together when Bay gets irritated with the newest draft of poster.

"What are you doing?" he asks, putting down the notebook he was looking at. "That was good."

"No, it was terrible." She goes on to explain to Noah, how important this poster will be, to her dad, and to her. This is a way to tie in her love of art and street designs, with her dad, who is against graffiti. After she and Noah discuss the possibility of telling a story with just a singular image (which Noah doesn't think is possible!) "I just need… someone with an artistic eye that's not my own." She says, finally after a brief pause.

Staring down at her drawing pad, she hears Noah say "Someone like Emmett." Her head snaps up to make eye contact. She's stunned into silence. She can't reply right away. Because of course, Noah is right. She needs Emmett's artistic eye. They made each other better. Fuck. Noah dresses up this statement by declaring that "You're right, I'm not an artist. I'm just slowing you down, I guess. I'm gonna go." He gets up as he says this and leaves the studio.

"Noah!"

"No, it's cool."

"Well, I'll call you when I'm done!" she says to Noah, who acknowledges this with a wave, but not anything else. Fuck, what else could go wrong?!

* * *

**Hope you liked! Reviews are encouraged!**

2/24/13


End file.
